Atlantis

photo by http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/gates-of-atlantis-stanley-morrison.jpg


i wish surfing didnt make me so sleepy, but a second cup of Caribou coffee made by my best friend, the Keurig coffee machine, is keeping me alert enough to finish a nursing paper on obesity. fun stuff.

made it to the beach a bit later than normal this morning..you know it's early if you paddle out and the shade from the high rises dominates the water. our mini atlantis.

the morning surfers are joyous..we have a decent group of happy early evening people too, but i do have a special adoration for morning surfers. we've not been spoiled all day by hot sun and traffic, we are in the water right after a light breakfast. the cold water hits your skin, you squeak with delight.

this was my third day on ole Dong..he has really bruised me..my knees and hips give the appearance that i fell down a flight of stairs. they'll go away. i like being tan, having chipped nail polish, and running around with wild mermaid hair and bruises on my knees. waikiki is one place (i'm sure there's more) where you can truly live how you see fit. i could never get away with running around in a wet bathing suit and no makeup in san fran. too many city and career standards.

so, earlier i rated the waves as a 1 on a scale of 10. but social interaction was a 10. slam dunk. i'm normally at the 'wall' with the booger-board but the surfing side of the beach is a whole different crowd. one that loves the ocean as much as the bb'ers but for different reasons. i assimilate into cultures very easily and find it only natural to go back and forth between my two families. walk a quarter mile down the beach and there will be more regulars you have never met.

i've discovered that it takes about 30 minutes to push past the pain of paddling. my arms are crap still..it will take six weeks of three times a day to get back to where they were. I plan to have a kick @ss body too. you sort of get a second wind after paddling for a while, you realize how badly you want the wave..you dig deeper in the wave and use long powerful strokes. i can feel a difference already, instead of helplessly clinging to the board when a wave hits, i am able to easily push up on the board and allow the water to pass between Dong and I (sounds like a love affair doesn't it). I love arm strength..have always had strong legs , and the use of fins during bb'ing keeps them strong..but to have strong arms is a really good feeling. It opens your chest and you breathe easier. Veil dance is a dream with strong arms.

all the lessons you could possibly want from life are in Atlantis..